Integrated master plan for Dhaka city underway: Taposh
It will help ensure services, and to move forward with the goal of building a modern Dhaka
An integrated master plan is being formulated for Dhaka city by coordinating the master plans of all relevant organisations and agencies, said Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh.
He was speaking as chief guest at a virtual discussion organised by Institution of Engineers, Dhaka on Thursday marking the World Cities Day 2020, according to a press statement.
The UN General Assembly designated 31 October as World Cities Day.
The DSCC mayor said, "Various agencies have formulated their master plans but those are project-centric. We are set to formulate an "integrated master plan" for Dhaka city by coordinating all the plans (master plans of the organisations like Rajuk, Wasa, and Titas Gas)," according to the statement.
It will help us ensure our services and move forward with the goal of building a modern Dhaka, he added.
Barrister Taposh also referred the functions of the city corporation as described in the Local Government (City Corporation) Act-2009.
He said, "The controlling of all government reservoirs in the city, market control-management, cattle control-management, controlling building construction, preparation of land development projects, civil defence, disaster management, management of parks and open spaces, lowlands and even five-year plan development of the city - all under the purview of the city corporation," it read.
The mayor continued, "But sadly, we have not been able to bring all the activities together in one place. So, we have to be united in the first place and set and share our responsibilities and coordinate with the roles. Unless we do this, we will never be able to reach the goal," he said.
Referring to the implementation of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) as a landmark initiative by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Taposh further said, "Through the MRT, we will move towards a modern Dhaka city," read the statement.
"No one is thinking about how we will manage the population pressure in Dhaka. We have to consider that too," added the DSCC mayor.
Engineer Md Abul Hossain, chairman of the IEB Dhaka Centre, presided over the event hosted by Engineer Kazi Khairul Bashar, general secretary of the IEB Dhaka Centre.
AKM Saiful Islam, professor, Institute of Water and Flood Management of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), while Dr Nilopal Adri, assistant professor of Urban and Regional Planning presented the keynote paper, it read.